Umbrella rack and lock.



l. T. WOLFE.

UMBRELLA RACK AND LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED luHE 7. |915.

Patented June 5, 1917.

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UMBHELLA RACK AND LOCK. APPLICATION msn JUNE 1, 1915.

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Patented June 5, 1917.

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IRA T. WOLEE, OF SEATTLE, WSI-IINGTON.

MBRELLA RACK AND LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 5, 191 '7.

Application led .Tune 7, 1915. Serial No. 32,522.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Inn T. VVOLFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of `Washingtolnhave invented certain new and use ful Improvements in UmbrellaRacks and Locks, of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention relates toimprovements in locking racks for umbrellas,and the like.

The objects `of my invention are `the provision of simplified and.efficient locking mechanism for securing an umbrella or other articleagainst theft and of means for preventing the removal of the key fromthe lock without the introduction of an umbrella within the rack as whensuch article is to be retained in the rack and safeguarded from loss. j

rQlhe invention consists in the novel construction, of an umbrella lock,the combination therewith of a key release and the adaptation of partsand devices as will be fully described in the following specification,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally set forth in theappended claims.

In said drawings, Figure `1 `is a View in top plan view of an umbrellalocking device embodying my invention shown with its cover removed andwith the locking jaws in their closed position.

F ig. 2 is an underside view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 1 illustrating the locking mechanism with the jaws in' openedposition and with plate 3S, lalso removed. Fig. d is a view similar toFig. 2 showing the jaws in open position.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical cross-section taken transversely of Fig. 1with the key removed. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in front elevation ofan umbrella locking rack with which my invention is arranged. Fig. 7 isa view in vertical section taken transversely of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a topplan view of Fig. 6.

Referring to said views, the reference numeral 5 designates the verticalside parts, and 6, 7, and 8, top, bottom and intermediate horizontalrails, respectively, of an umbrella locking rack.

A plurality of umbrella locking devices is mounted in spaced relationupon the underside of said top rail 6 and consist of pairs of hookedjaw-members `10 extending in opposed overlapping or meeting relation, as

indicated on Fig. 2 beyond the front edge of rail 6 and affording whenclosed a space 11 for the accommodation of an umbrella handle U. Saidjaws are pivotally mounted for limited swinging movements by screws 12which also serve to screw tie-plate 13 in position, as indicated in saidview. Upon the portions 15 extending inwardly from said pivots saidaw-members are each provided with opposed notches 16 and at theirextremities are formed with opposing abutments 17 with functions to behereafter described.

1S indicates a locking bar of substantial U-shape having itsintermediate portion 20 extending vertically beyond the front edge ofsaid rail 6 when it may be actuated by a person in inserting an umbrellawithin the locking mechanism by pushing said bar inwardly. Said bar hasa leg 21 extending upon the underside of said rail 6 and between theinner ends ofthe aw-members 10 and are slidably retained by saidtie-plate 13. Said leg 21 is formed at the sides of its inner extremitywith symmetrical projections 22 corresponding with and adapted to enterthe respective opposing notches 16 in their outermost position, asindicated in Fig. Il, thereby allowing said jaws to open, and in theirinnermost position, as indicated in Fig. 2, engaging between theabutments 17 of the jaw-members and thus preventing their outer hookedendsfrom being separated.

Upon the upper side of said rail 6 a sheet metal case 25 is securedhaving an upturned rear wall 26 and a forwardly protruding ledge 27formed with lateral upturned lugs 28 upon each side and an intermediateslot 30 through which a tab 31 of a sheet metal cover 32 is protrudedand secured to the front of said rail, as at 33, and at the rear Vbyspaced screws 35 entered through holes 36 in the said case. Said coveris formed with depending side walls 37 engaged with lugs 28. n

A .plate 38 is secured in spacedrelation with the bottom of said casebetween which a vibratile locking dog 10 is pivotally mounted at 41.Said dog is `formed with a forwardly extending arm t2 having at itsextremity hook-bills 43 and 44 extending in opposite lateral directions,respectively, and with oppositely extending branches a5 and 46 arrangedat substantially right-angles to said arm.

The upper leg 19 of said U-shaped bar 18 is slidably received within thecase at one side thereof and is formed on its inner side with f a notch47 adapted to receive and be held by the hook-bill 48 when said dog ispivotally actuated to swing in that direction by the engagement of theleg-end 191 with the branch 45 when the locking bar is pushed inwardlyas described in placing an umbrella in the rack.

A key 48 insertible in the casing upon the opposite side of the tab 31is formed with a notch 50 similar to said notch 47 of the leg 19 to beengaged by the hook-bill 44 when the dog is vibrated in the positionindicated in Fig. 3 as wouldbe done in the insertion of the key in thecase and the engagement of its end 481 with the branch 46.

The operation of the described apparatus is as follows: Assuming thelocking mechanism to be in inoperative position as indicated in Figs. 8and 4, and an umbrella is to be placed therein to be locked, the lowerend of the umbrella is inserted through suitable retaining aperturesinrails 7 and 8, which will be presently more particularly described andthe handle of the umbrella pressed againstthe intermediate portion 20 ofthe locking-bar 18. Such pressure slidably actuates the bar inwardly andveach of its two legs 19 and 21 simultaneously perform their respectivefunctions as follows: As the main leg 21 is pushed in, the inclinedfaces 51 engage the inner extremities of the notches 16 and force apartthe inner ends 15 of the jaw-members whereupon the projections 22 areinterposed between the opposing abutments 17 and lock the outer forkedends of the jaws 10 around the umbrella handle, as illustrated at theright hand side of Fig. 8. The other leg 19 of the locking-bar in themeantime has had its extremity 191 projected against the forwardlytilted branch` 45 as indicated in Fig. 3 and forced rearwardly asindicated in Fig. 1 causing the arm 42 to be vibrated correspondinglyand release the hook-bill 44 from locked engagement with the key 48 andengage the hookbill 43 within the notch 47 of the leg 19. The umbrellais now locked and the key 48 removably released andthe outward movementof the branch 46 coincident with the described inward motion of theopposite branch impels the key 48 outwardly yof the key-socket andindicates to the operator that the key may be removed,

Whenit is'desired that the umbrella be removed from the rack the key isinserted in the casey and forced inwardly against the branch46 of thelocking dog which causes the arm 42 to swing from its connection withVthe leg 19 and again engagethe key, while at y the same time the branch45 forces the leg 19 outwardly and thereby influences the leg 21 in theysaine direction and thus causes the projections 22 to register with thenotches 16 of jaw-portions 15 and permits the jaws 10 to open.Furthermore, a shoulder 221 of said projections engages the outer face161 of said notches and forces the jaws asunder, as indicated in Fig. 4.In such position the umbrella is released and the locking mechanism isiny inoperative condition ready to receive another umbrella and with thekey 48 locked by the engagement of the hook-bill 44 therewith until theinward projection of the bar 18 releases the key.

To safeguard the key from unauthorized removal or theft the followingdevices are provided: Rigidly mounted in the' racks 6, 7 and 8 is avertically arranged tube 54 in which a rod 55 is slidably retained. Theupper end of said rod is formed or provided with a head 56 directed atright angles to its vertical portion and maintained in for- The lowerend 57 of rod 55 is borne upon and depresses one end 58 of a centrallypivoted lever-pan 60 whose other end 61 is directly beneath an upwardlyflaring aperture 62 in rail 7 which in turn is directly beneath anaperture formed in rail 8.

In practice the lower end of an umbrella is protruded through saidaperture and rests upon the end 61 of said lever-pan 60 whereupon theopposite end 58 isk elevated and raises the rod 55 and the head 56 clearof its engagement with the branch 45 and thereby allows the locking-barto perform its functions as described. When the umbrella is removed thegravity of the rod 55 causes the head 56 to be seated behind the branch45 to block the same against movement and the lever end 61 is againtilted upwardly to receive the weight of an umbrella.

Having described my invention7 what I claim is 1. "In an umbrella lock,a xedrail, oppositely disposed locking jaw members pivoted intermediatetheir ends toy one side of said rail,.each jaw-memberbeing formed withan Aabutment near its inner extremity and with a recess between theabutment and pivot, ya U-shaped locking bar straddling said rail havinga head formed on the end of one leg adapted to be interposed betweensaid abutments to receive said jaws in closed position clling said railand having one leg interposed is outwardly positioned and the jaw-lnem-10 between the inner ends of the jaw members bers are opened. wherebythe same may be helel in open oi1 Signed at Seattle, Washington, this29th losecl position, the other leg of the U-shaped clay of May 1915. 5ocking bar having a notch in the side thereoi', a vibratory dog having alug adapted to IRA T' WOLB E' be received in said notch, and a removableWitnesses: key insertible in said lock and engageable HORACE BARNES,with the vbratory clog When the locking bar PIERRE BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

